1. Field
The following description relates to an infrared ray detecting apparatus and a heating cooker including the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
A heating cooker is an apparatus configured to cook food by increasing the temperature of the food. In general, the heating cooker includes a microwave oven configured to radiate microwave energy at food, and a gas oven and an electric oven that are configured to directly radiate heat on food. The microwave oven is an apparatus configured to cook food by use of friction heat based on the translational motion of water molecules, which are contained in the food, by radiating microwave energy, which is generated from a magnetron, at the food.
When cooking food by using the heating cooker as such, by detecting the temperature of the food, the cooking status of the food may be able to be determined. However, directly detecting the temperature of the food may be difficult while the food is being cooked. Thus, a method of detecting the intensity of an infrared ray generated from the food, and then calculating the temperature of the food using the detected intensity of the infrared ray is being used. An infrared ray sensor is generally being used to detect the intensity of the infrared ray. The infrared ray sensor is disposed around a measuring unit formed at a cooking compartment, such that a light receiving unit of the infrared ray sensor at which an infrared ray is being received faces the cooking compartment.
However, the light receiving unit of the infrared ray sensor faces the cooking compartment, and thus the light receiving unit may be contaminated by the oil or the steam that is generated from the food. In addition, in the case of the microwave oven, the microwave radiated inside the cooking compartment may be received by the light receiving unit, thereby reducing the reliability of the result of detection.